Mission Statement

One Earth

Under the theme 'One Earth,' Kodo brings the sound of the taiko to all corners of the globe as our music and message resonates with myriad cultures and ways of life.

The Kodo Lifestyle: 'Living, Learning, and Creating'

Since 1971 Sado Island has been our home and the platform from which we reach out to the world. With nature's warm embrace evident in each of her four seasons, Sado is an extraordinary place where traditional ways of life and the island's inherent performing arts still thrive today. This island is the fountain of our inspiration and the guiding force behind our creative lifestyle. Our goal is to find a harmonious balance between people and the natural world.

Each time we venture off the island we encounter new people, customs, and traditional performing arts that are ingrained in the lifestyles of each locale. Both similarities and differences prompt us to take pause and reflect upon the importance of the varied and rich cultures that color our world. These life lessons permeate our very skin and become an invisible source of our expression.

It is through this process of Living, Learning, and Creating that we cultivate a unique aesthetic and sensitivity, reaching out toward a new world culture rooted in the rich possibilities of a peaceful coexistence between humanity and nature.

Excerpts from 'Kodo Village Concept 1985'

The roots of the Kodo Village can be found in a essay called 'The Kodo Village Concept' written by Hancho (Toshio Kawauchi, 1950-87). In the on-going process of creating Kodo Village we are pursuing the dream of Living, Learning and Creating, as first outlined in this document.

Originally mankind was part of nature, breathed with nature, lived together with her. Since we settled on Sado Island, nature's voices-- the songs of birds and insects in the fields, the whisper of the trees in the wind, the sound of the waves breaking on the rocks-- have seeped inside us, unseen. They have become the starting point for our creativity. We remain with Sado as the base for our lives because there is space for both nature and us to live together. As our roots penetrated deeper into this soil, the plan for Kodo Village came about as a place where we might think and act on a global level.

Our activities will be based on 3 concepts: Living, Learning and Creating. In the process of studying and creating we will discover our potential. While planning a life filled with richness, we will be creating not only our own lifestyles, but also a permanent place for those who follow. The 3 concepts are an expression of the internal energy of a life lived 'humanistically.' You could also call it the heartbeat of humanity or the heartbeat of the universe. While acknowledging that energy in each other we will build this village together. That is the bedrock upon which it will stand.

As we turn our gaze beyond borders, as one member of the community of Earth, as citizens of the globe, we will interact with other members of our world. We want to help create a world in which people recognize and accept one another's lifestyles and cultures. As far as possible, we want to create a self-supporting and unique culture. A place where people of all cultures can interact surrounded by nature's beauty and bounty. A public square where something is always being born.

It will be a magnetic field which embraces contradictions, where opposites attract; settling down/going on the road, the city/the country, romance/reality. A magnet for that permanent energy born from the internal struggle. This is the village we want and work for. If more tiny villages like this were made around the world perhaps a Union of World Villages might appear, reaching over the walls of nationhood. A world like this would be so much more fun.